Small Business Council

Goal: To provide our small businesses with resources they can utilize to help their businesses grow. Our membership is 80 percent small business and the top request we receive is networking opportunities. In addition to providing monthly member luncheons and after-hour business connections annually, the Chamber strives to provide a voice and venue for those members through our Small Business Council.

In 2014, the Chamber provided 11 Smart Luncheons and two Speed Networking Events. In 2014 some of the Smart Luncheon highlighted topics were: The changes to the City of Savannah's permitting and inspections process; Creating positive work environments to increase productivity, employee retention and recruitment; How to better Manage, Challenging some long-held assumptions about competition and the language we use when we discuss business competition; Workplace Bullying and the effects it has on the productivity of your employees; and The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center 2015 Classes for Small Business Owners and Managers.

The council also presented the Small Business of the Year Award at the Chamber's Annual Business EXPO and Awards Banquet last October. The award went to our very own Madeleine Warren, owner and managing partner of Edibelles.

The Smart Luncheons are held every month on the first Tuesday (unless specified otherwise) and are held at the Savannah Morning News. These events are sponsored by Comcast Business.

Speed Networking is held quarterly and more information is sent out prior to the events.